


The Heart of a Genius (Plus a Spider-Kid)

by ScarletWitch7



Series: Iron Man (With Peter Parker) [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A lot of differences, AU, Arc Reactor, Basically Iron Man 1 with Peter, Bombs, But same plot, First Suit, Gen, He got them differently, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Including a tiny Spider-Man running around, Iron Man Mark 1, Irondad, Kid Peter Parker, Peter is six, Peter was taken as a one year old, Poor Peter Parker, Ten Rings, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony is a dad, heart surgery, peter has powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2019-08-01 06:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 10,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16279502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWitch7/pseuds/ScarletWitch7
Summary: Tony Stark is held captive by the Ten Rings. Except instead of meeting Yinsen, he meets a little boy with no place to call home and a broken childhood. And the kid has superpowers. Great.orTony has to learn how to be a dad while simultaneously fighting some bad guys.





	1. Introducing... A Tiny Kid With Super-Strength and a Billionaire With a Heart Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Little Peter! YAY!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit of a weird backstory, but it's all I could come up with. Next chapter is first meeting! (Tony's POV)

The Ten Rings is more complex than you would think. After all, they gave a someone super-powers.

However, it wasn't without trial and error. Screaming filled the hallways of their crude testing facility. All but one of their subjects were adults, above the age of eighteen. All but one of their subjects died. All but one of their experiments failed. 

 

And the one that survived was a one-year old kid. 

 

They had taken him during a secret raid on New York. Their leader had heard crying from an apartment building nearby, and it was not helping create the much-needed silence for them to plant the bomb. He snuck in through the back window and kidnapped him. The boss had a soft spot for kids, but this one just kept crying. He placed him in the back of a car and set up the explosive. They drove away without a trace. 

 

Richard and Mary Parker were devastated. They searched for the child for as long as they could. Before they died. 

 

Six years later, the boy was training with the terrorists. He always wore a mask. He couldn't take it off or he would be beaten. He learned how to fire a gun, to use a knife, and to throw a grenade. He learned hand to hand combat, and could take down everyone. It helped that he had strength, agility, and the weird ability to stick to walls. 

 

That same year, there was a new prisoner. 

 

His name was Tony Stark. 

 

And he was getting out. 

 

No matter what.


	2. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony wakes up in a dark place. There's a kid sitting next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! :D

Tony was in a world of pain. Ever since the shrapnel had hit him, he had been semi-conscious, drifting in and out of reality. He had been awake for the ransom video, but only just. He woke up a few times to a sharp knife in his chest, screaming in agony till his throat turned raw. Now, it had all dulled down to an ache and the feeling of something wrong in his heart.

 

He cracked open his eyes, seeing a dimly lit hovel with flickering lamps around him. A car battery sat near his bed, hooked to something..... Oh god. In the middle of his chest was a circular device. It was crudely made, but seemed to be doing it's job as an electromagnet. The shrapnel must be inching towards his heart. Slowly killing him. 

 

"Are you Mr. Stark?" A tiny, shy voice asked next to him. 

 

Tony whipped his head around and sat up. _No...._

 

He must be seeing things. He blinked rapidly, but it was still there. A small child, with a muzzle-like mask covering the bottom half of his face, was sitting on a desk. "Uh, yeah, kid. What are you doing here?!" 

 

The child flinched a bit, almost like he thought he would be hit. "S-sorry." The voice was a bit muffled by the mask, but not by much. Tony could hear the fear and broken hope in the kid. It terrified him to no end. How long has he been here? Where were his parents? He'd be bringing him along once he got out of here. He glanced around. If he got out of here.

 

He leaned forward a bit, extending his arm to try and comfort the tiny boy. He still flinched back, looking at Tony with tear-filled eyes, obviously trying not to cry.

Tony softened. "I'm not gonna hurt you, bud. I just want to know how you got here." 

 

"I live here. They train me everyday, and soon I'm gonna go on missions like the rest of them." His eyes were now shining with pride, but looked too haunted to be on a five year old's (six year old's? He couldn't be older than that) face. 

 

"Do you want to get out of here? I can take you to my place, you can go to school and everything." The sentence burst out of Tony's mouth before he knew what he was saying. _What was he doing? He couldn't take care of himself, let alone a kid. Maybe Pepper could help._

 

The boy's eyes brightened. "Really?" 

 

Tony nodded, smiling. "Yeah bud." _How had he already gotten close to this kid? Maybe it was his (now hopeful) huge eyes, or unruly curly brown hair._

 

The door banged open. Tony immediately tried to shield the kid with his body, but he was still on the bed and unable to really help. A huge man barged in, speaking in a different language that Tony didn't know. The boy ran out from behind him. 

 

The man spoke harshly, and the kid's body was rigid, obviously trying with all his might not to flinch. Tony was tense, an odd emotion flaring within him. Was it- protectiveness?

Suddenly, the burly man's hand slapped across the boy's face. He didn't cry out, but Tony could see his lip trembling. 

 

And that was all he needed. "YOU GET AWAY FROM HIM RIGHT NOW!" 

 

He regretted the outburst as soon as it came out of his mouth. Because right after, the man grabbed the child's wrist and jerked it towards himself. There was a loud crack and a cry of pain. 

 

And Tony saw the terrified eyes staring back at him as the door shut and locked. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

The kid came back later, holding a huge box filled with scrap metal and wires. 

 

He looked good, all things considered. Too good. His wrist looked almost healed, and there was no bruising on his face where the slap should've left a mark. He shuffled inside the room. "Th-they said I could stay with you. Cause they think you like me and will get them stuff to hurt people." 

 

Tony got off the bed, carrying the cumbersome car battery with him. He set it down slowly in the center of the room, then motioned for the boy to sit down across from him. 

 

He obeyed, setting the box of junk down in between them. Tony got to work. 

 

The kid watched with wonder, head tilted slightly as he watched the man work. He would ask questions every once in a while, nodding along as Tony explained. 

 

"So kid, do you have a name?" 

 

He nodded. "Subject 13." 

 

Tony's jaw dropped. They treated human beings like this? "Seriously?! We need to get you a name." The kid seemed a bit confused, eyes narrowed, but he didn't protest. They sat in silence for a few moments, thinking. Then Tony got the perfect name. He snapped his finger and pointed at the child. 

 

He flinched a tiny bit, muscles tensed up. 

 

"Sorry. How do you like the name Peter?" 

 

The kid nodded, eyes widening in delight. 

 

"Alrighty, Peter it is!" 

 

The newly named Peter smiled underneath his mask. 

 

Tony saw his eyes crinkle in the corners. 

 

And he smiled too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More?


	3. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter stays with Tony while he works on his suit.

Peter was kinda confused. He knew Mr. Stark was a good guy. He knew that the men were bad. But what should he do about it? He knew he was different, but he didn't remember why or how. The men said it was when he was a baby. They had experimented on him, and that's why his name was Subject 13. At least, it used to be.

Now he was Peter. The name seemed right. Like it had been with him forever. He really liked Mr. Stark. He was really nice and protected him from the men. While he worked, Mr. Stark told him about Pepper, a girl from his home. She was his assistant, but Peter could tell she was more. Mr. Stark's eyes lit up when he talked about her. Peter liked it when he talked about her. Mr. Stark was always happy when he talked about Pepper. 

 

But Mr. Stark was planning something big. He had a glowy blue thing in his chest, called an arc reactor. It helped his heart beat, and stopped it from being hurt more. Mr. Stark would take big pieces of metal and bang on them, and then take a torch and weld them together. It was loud, and Peter would always cover his ears when he worked. Now he had earplugs, and it helped a lot. 

 

Every once in a while, the bad men would come back and yell bad things at his da- Mr. Stark. But Mr. Stark didn't actually understand what most of them meant. Peter knew. He knew many different languages. They planned on making him a spy, and would make him hurt people. Peter used to think it was a good thing. But then Mr. Stark came, and he was the nicest man in the world. He protected him from the men, and wasn't scary. He would teach Peter about different things, but he didn't know about Peter's powers. 

He was scared Mr. Stark would be mad at him for that. But today, Mr. Stark finished his metal suit. It was big and had fire-shooters (Mr. Stark called them flamethrowers, but fire-shooters always made him laugh). It might even fly!!! 

 

Today was the day they would get out of the country and go home. To Pepper, in America. Mr. Stark had a lot of friends, and the one that could save them was named Rhodey. 

 

"You ready kid? Remember to stay next to me at all times. When we're out, we'll get that mask off." 

 

Peter smiled, and he knew Mr. Stark could tell. "Can we see Pepper?" 

 

"Yeah kid, we'll go see Pepper." The man grinned. His eyes were tired, but happy. He seemed happier these days. Probably because they were getting out. 

 

They reviewed the plan while pretending to work on the weapon. 

 

The program was being downloaded to the suit as they spoke. When it reached 100%, a bang resounded off the door. 

 

Peter jumped, tensing and preparing himself. 

 

Mr. Stark was already inside the armor. He held his finger up to his lips in a shushing gesture. Peter nodded at him. 

 

The door burst open. 

 

The bad men were here.

 

"Where is Stark?!!" 

 

Peter shrugged, something his da- Mr. Stark had taught him. 

 

"ANSWER ME, 13!!!" 

 

He raised his gun. 

 

Peter shook his head, eyes on the gun in fear. He heard a metallic clank. The man cocked his gun and put his finger on the trigger. Peter prepared himself.

 

BANG.

 

Pain shot through his stomach. It hurt worse than anything he'd ever felt. Peter cried out, but what actually came out was a choked sob. There was a weird, bad taste in his throat. It tasted like metal, and it was warm. 

 

"NO!" 

 

Peter collapsed to the ground as Mr. Stark leaped in front of him in the metal suit. 

 

Fire burst out of his hands and burned the men. It was the first time Peter had seen him be so scary. Suddenly, the pain flared up again, and Peter realized his eyes had closed for a moment, because he saw Mr. Stark's metal suit when he opened his eyes. He was carrying Peter, who snuggled into his arm as well as possible. He heard reassuring words flooding out of the man's mouth, then gun fire. He was set down on the sand, hand weakly trailing through the rough grains. 

 

Mr. Stark waited until all of the fire stopped. "My turn." 

 

A wave of heat came through to Peter on the sand. After that, everything turned black. 

 

And he heard no more.


	4. Rescue by Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhodey finds a broken Tony holding a bleeding six-year-old kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review for inspiration!!! :D

"Let's go get him." 

 

Rhodey kept his tone hard and guarded, but inside, he was terrified. Terrified that his best friend was broken beyond repair. Terrified that he was too late. Terrified he couldn't save Tony. Terrified that even if he found him, there would be a burial the next day. But he couldn't show his fear. He couldn't show any signs that he thought it would all go wrong. Because if he did, it would never go right. 

 

He was in the helicopter when he saw it. The cave-like entrance to the compound. They couldn't attack it yet. They were only here on a rescue op. They didn't have the materials to..... 

 

Whoah. 

 

As they flew around, they saw the smoke coming from burning piles of Stark Industries weapons. There were small explosions everywhere. And bodies. Burned bodies of what looked like members of the Ten Rings. 

 

"Oh my god," Rhodey's voice was proud and horrified at the same time. He knew what the consequences would be on Tony. He would blame himself for everything. But right now, his attention was focused on the metal object that had launched itself into the air nearby. "WAS THAT-" 

 

His voice broke off into a hysterical chuckle. It had to be Tony. No one else would have the idea of trying to fly in a metal suit. "Guys, that had to be him. We gotta go." 

 

In a few minutes, they reached the landing site. Tony wasn't there anymore, but the remains of the suit were. They kept flying forwards, until, a few dunes over, they spotted a figure. 

 

It was staggering and looked ragged, but it had to be him. 

 

"LAND!" 

 

The helicopter went downwards, and the figure turned. It was Tony. 

 

And he was holding a bundle in his arms tightly. 

 

When they finally got down to earth, Rhodey jumped out of the helicopter and practically ran in front of his team to get to Tones. 

 

He was kneeling on the sand, setting down the bundle. 

 

"Tony!" 

 

That's when Rhodey saw the kid. He was bruised and battered, and blood was seeping out of a bullet wound on his stomach. And he had a mask on the lower half of his face. It looked like it was helping his breathing, but they would have to take it off when they got the med team in.

 

"We need medical!" He turned and shouted to the others, who nodded and ran to get the stretcher. Tony didn't look good, but the kid was critical. 

 

Rhodey knelt down in front of the two. "Hey Tones, we're gonna get some help, alright?" 

 

The exhausted man nodded, still looking at the kid. Then he suddenly spoke. "Tell them to call him Peter, alright?" 

 

"Okay man, I'll do that." The request was a bit strange, but he was sure there was an explanation. One he might not get if the kid didn't make it. 

 

Just then, the two doctors they had brought along came out with a stretcher. Tony lifted the kid gently onto it. Rhodey helped him up so he could walk along side the kid, whose eyes were now open and blearily looking around. They focused on Tony, and crinkled in the corners. The kid was trying to smile. 

 

Tony smiled back. 

 

Rhodey was shocked at the love in his eyes, and could see that Tony thought of the kid as his own son. It was obvious that the bond between them was strong. 

 

That was when he decided he would do anything to save this kid. 

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

_Back in America_

 

Pepper waited. And waited. And waited. 

 

Happy was there with her. He acted gruff and, well, unhappy. But that meant he was just as worried as she was. He kept checking his watch, pacing around and grumbling about how late the plane was. 

 

And then it arrived. There was an ambulance there, which she assumed was for Tony. Rhodey had called for thirty seconds and said he had broken his arm, but then had to go. 

 

The door to the plane opened. 

 

And a stretcher was rushed out. 

 

But it wasn't Tony. 

 

Because he was right behind it, Rhodey supporting him as they walked quickly towards the ambulance. Pepper ran to them to catch up, to see Tony, but she was pushed away by paramedics. "Ma'am, you need to drive yourself. We can only have him in there." 

 

Pepper nodded and stepped away reluctantly, running back to Happy and quickly getting in the car with him. 

 

She hoped that Tony was okay. Because if he wasn't, she didn't know what she would do.


	5. I Hate Hospitals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony waits for his kid to come out of surgery. He gets some bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER UPDATE?! OMG IM ON A ROLL! :D

They rode in the ambulance to the hospital for what felt like hours. In actuality, it was around three minutes. Every time the kid breathed, Tony thought it would be his last. But Peter kept on fighting. The medics would whisper soothing things to the six year old whenever he drifted into semi-consciousness, but he would only calm down when he saw Tony. He would try and put on a brave face for the older man, but it was always strained with pain. They had taken off his mask (it had to be cut off) and replaced it with oxygen. 

 

There was an I.V stuck in the kid's arm. He had smiled when the medics praised him for being brave. Tony knew Peter had had worse pain, but the way the kid's eyes had lit up made Tony want to cry. There was so much hope, but something wrong as well. When you looked into the child's eyes, you could see his broken, haunted past; the violent actions he had been forced to commit, the ruthless training, the constant abuse, and so, so much pain. 

 

But as young as he was, there was still a chance he could grow up to overcome his struggles. If he survived this one. 

 

Tony was snapped out of his thoughts as the ambulance stopped. They had arrived. Rhodey put a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, squeezing it to let him know it would be okay. 

 

Peter was rushed out of the ambulance, and shouting surrounded them as he was wheeled away. Tony tried to go after him, but it was impossible to keep up with the nurses and doctors. It was all a blur, and Tony barely noticed he had sat down on a bench until he heard the heart rate monitor flatline. 

 

"NO!" 

 

He jumped out of his seat and ran to the window of the operating room. It was blocked off. He couldn't see his kid. 

 

His kid was dying. 

 

No. 

 

Dead. 

 

His heart had stopped. 

 

Tony stumbled backwards. 

 

He collapsed.

 

"TONY!" 

 

It was Pepper. He vaguely remembered Rhodey telling him he was going to go talk to the press. Pepper must've just gotten here.

 

"Oh my god, are you okay?!" 

 

He raised his head up from the hard floor. Feeling the back of his head, he noticed a wet, warm substance. Pulling his hand away, he saw it was deep red. 

 

Oh. 

 

"You're bleeding!" 

 

Yeah, he had noticed. 

 

Darkness swallowed Tony's vision as his head thudded back to the floor. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Peter felt so much pain. It hurt every time he breathed, and that was bad, he knew it was really, really bad. The nurses were nice. They said they were very proud of him, that he was a great young man. 

 

But he missed Mr. Stark. 

 

Every once in a while, he would see him smiling. It was blurry and bright when he opened his eyes, so he tried not to. He was really tired, but they wouldn't let him go to sleep. 

 

It was kinda mean. Weren't you supposed to rest when you got hurt? 

 

Mr. Stark told him that. 

 

His friend Rhodey was kind. Peter could tell that they were close. They talked like they were brothers, and Rhodey was helping Mr. Stark a lot. When the big car stopped, there was a lot of noise and bright lights and **_pain._ **

 

It was too much. 

 

And the nurses finally let him sleep.


	6. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper remembers her time waiting for Tony.

Pepper sprinted up the stairs to where she knew Tony would be, thanks to Rhodey. He was by the operating room, waiting for Peter to get out of surgery. She heard a scream. It was Tony. Pepper swore when she heard the monitor flatline. She had seen the apparent bond between her boss and the kid. He would be devastated if Peter died. 

 

But all thoughts fled from her mind when she spotted Tony. He stumbled backwards and collapsed. "TONY!" The man looked terrible. He raised his head up from the floor weakly. 

 

"Oh my god, are you okay?" 

 

Tony pulled his hand from the back of his head. It was covered in a deep red substance. 

 

"You're bleeding!!!" Pepper exclaimed. The shock had gotten to her head, because obviously, Tony knew he was bleeding. An annoyed look flitted across his features briefly. 

 

His eyes rolled back into his head, and it thudded down to the floor. Pepper kneeled down next to him, frantically checking his pulse and sighing in relief when she found a steady one. But it didn't chase away all of her worry. "HELP! WE NEED A DOCTOR!" 

 

The door to the operating room creaked open, and a doctor rushed out, stopping before seeing her and Tony on the floor. "I'll call someone. Wait just a second." They rushed back into the room. Pepper supported Tony's head in her lap. 

 

_Her boss was in Afghanistan, presenting some kind of project. Pepper wasn't worried. He had Rhodey._

 

_She turned on the news, sitting down with her coffee and a book. She finally had a break._

 

_"Today, it has been reported that while in Afghanistan, Tony Stark has gone missing. He is suspected to be severely injured."_

 

_Pepper dropped her cup. It shattered into tiny pieces on the ground._

 

_Tony was gone. He could be dead. And he was hurt._

 

_Her hands shook as she dialed in Rhodey's number on her phone._

 

_"Pepper?"_

 

_"Rhodey, I saw the news, oh my god, what happened?!!"_

 

_"He went in a different vehicle than me. It was attacked, the people protecting him were found dead. At the site, there was a lot of blood. There was remains of a shrapnel device, and a few blood-covered shards. It's safe to assume he was hit. But there was no body. We think he was kidnapped."_

 

_Pepper's breathing sped up._

 

_"Calm down. We're gonna get him back."_

 

_There was a faint rustling and shouting in the background. "Hold on, Pep, we're getting a transmission from Afghanistan. I gotta call you back."_

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tony was in a hospital bed. He would have a mild concussion, and be on bed rest for a week to recover from his time in captivity. But he would be okay. And that was all that mattered. 

 

Wait. That wasn't the only thing. 

 

The kid was still in surgery. He was resuscitated, and hadn't flatlined again. His chances of survival had gone up, but there was still a high chance of infection and death. 

 

Pepper hoped he made it. 

 

Because if he didn't, Tony would be broken.

 

Forever.


	7. Awaken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is aware of his surroundings for the entire time after the surgery. But on the outside, he is in a coma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm sick so this might not be good, but I had the time so I decided to revisit it!

Peter was, once again, very confused. He could hear everything, could sense everything going on around him, but he couldn't move. He couldn't move anything.

It was terrifying. He heard the beeping of some machine, steadily sending a jarring noise into his head. The cloth underneath him was soft, and he was comfortably nestled in a blanket. However, there was something in his throat. Air was pumping into him, his chest rising and falling consistently. But he wasn't doing anything. He wasn't breathing, but he was alive. At least, he hoped so. Mr. Stark would be sad if he wasn't. 

 

MR. STARK! Was he okay? Peter hadn't heard his voice. 

 

"Oh my god, is this him?" 

 

That was a new voice. It was a woman. There was a bit of a choked noise after she spoke.

 

"Pep, it's alright. He'll make it, the doctors said he's already healing fast." 

 

That was Pepper! Peter wished he could see her. Da- Mr. Stark said she was really pretty. That means the man must be... 

 

"Rhodey, how could someone do this to a kid?!" Pepper was angry, but she also sounded sad. 

 

Peter didn't really understand why. He was fine. It wasn't the first time this had happened. He wasn't supposed to make people sad. 

 

He wanted to smile at her, but he couldn't. 

 

Peter fell into a fitful rest. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tony woke up suddenly. There was an I.V in his arm, and an oxygen cannula in his nostrils. _Wait..._

 

He sat up and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. He breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment. The arc reactor was still in his chest, glowing right over his heart. 

 

"Tony?" 

 

Pepper was in the doorway. Tears filled her eyes. "You're okay." 

 

Tony nodded, leaning back. "Yeah. Are those tears in your eyes?" 

 

Pepper chuckled. "Tears of joy. I hate job hunting." 

 

There was something off about her. Her eyes were haunted and tired. 

 

"What's wrong?" 

 

Pepper swallowed, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's nothing." 

 

That's when Tony remembered. 

 

 **PETER.**

 

He sat up abruptly. "WHERE'S MY KID?!" 

 

Pepper jumped. "He's doing fine, Tony. I saw him, he's up in the ICU until tomorrow in a medically induced coma. He should wake up soon." 

 

"I NEED TO SEE HIM!" 

 

"NO!" Pep shouted. 

 

That was a shock. She was shaking with an emotion Tony had never seen on her before. 

 

Rage. 

 

"God, Tony. Can't you just follow the rules for ONE TIME IN YOUR LIFE! YOU NEED TO REST, GODD***N IT!" 

 

She sucked in a breath, stepping forward. "We all care about you. And Peter. And that's why we need you to rest. What do you think the kid would think if he woke up and you were gone. Your heart is already damaged. You need to stop stressing out." 

 

Tony nodded numbly, taken aback. "Alright Pep." His voice was soft. "But you have to promise me something." 

 

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "What?" 

 

"You have to promise me you'll check on him and talk to him. Tell him I'm fine. He might be able to hear you. Than you'll tell me how he's doing. Please?" 

 

Her eyes softened. "Okay, Tony."


	8. Spider-Kid woke up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly the title. With some more stuff (mostly fluff).

Peter was stirring, so the tube in his throat was removed and replaced with a mask. The doctors thought he would be up that day. Tony hoped so. It was too quiet in the hospital without the sound of his chatter. After all, it had been three months he had spent with the kid. 

 

“Tony Stark?” 

 

He sat up immediately in his bed. “Yes?” 

 

The nurse was nervous. “Peter is awake, but before we see him, I need to run over some information with you.”

 

Tony nodded reluctantly. “What is it?” 

 

The nurse sat down in the chair next to his bed, where Pepper and Rhodey normally sat. “Peter is going to heal up fine, in fact, he’s already almost there.” 

 

“That’s impossible. I saw the wound, and he’s six! He couldn’t have healed that fast.” Tony exclaimed incredulously. 

 

“That’s why we tested his blood.” The nurse took a breath. “His cells are mutated. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The only thing that is remotely comparable to his blood is Dr. Banner’s. But the kid isn’t him.” 

 

Tony knew Bruce, had spoken to him before. There was apparently an accident that gave him some sort of ‘superpower’ that he couldn’t control. He hoped that wasn’t the case with Peter. “Can you fix it?” 

 

The nurse shook her head. “It isn’t a disease. It’s just how his blood is now. We can’t take it away if it’s how his body functions.” 

 

Tony sighed and nodded. “Okay. Thank you for the information.” 

 

The nurse seemed surprised that he didn’t say more. “Alright, lets get you out of bed. I have a wheelchair that you need to use.” 

 

“It’s only across the hall-“ 

 

“No. You need to use it.” 

 

“Fine.” 

——————————————————————————————

When they reached Peter’s room, Tony heard laughter. Pepper was there, talking to the kid and entertaining him with a toy car. They looked like they had already formed a bond. Peter’s adorably messy hair and big eyes could do that to you in a heartbeat. 

 

But nothing compared to Peter’s face when he saw Tony. He broke out into a grin underneath his oxygen mask and his eyes lit up.

 

“Hiya Pete. I see you’ve met Pepper.” 

 

Peter nodded vigorously and reached out his arms to Tony. 

 

Tony walked forward and hugged the kid to his chest. They were finally going to be okay. 

 

“Do you want to see some pictures of my house?” 

 

Peter nodded again. 

 

Pepper handed Tony her phone. He pulled up a small picture on the battered screen. Self-reminder: Get Pepper a better phone. Scratch that: make her a better phone. 

 

Tony heard Peter’s gasp of awe underneath the mask. “Pretty cool, right?” 

 

Peter smiled. 

 

Tony ruffled his curly hair. 

——————————————————————————————

Obidiah Stane was angry. Tony had escaped with the spider-kid, and everything was going downhill. He’d just have to get the reactor himself.


	9. The Outside World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is released from the hospital two weeks later. He is amazed at the world around him. 
> 
> But Tony has to do something to protect him and all the others like him.
> 
> The rest of the world is not impressed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hi. It's been a while....
> 
>  
> 
> Please don't be mad?

"Alrighty bud, we're just gonna get you in this. Is that okay, or do you want me to carry you?" Tony's face was filled with concern for the tiny kid in front of him. Pepper wanted to take a picture, it was that adorable. Tony rarely opened up like this, but Pepper could see he loved Peter like his own son. It was amazing, the bond they had formed over the past couple of months. 

 

Pepper loved the kid. Peter was sweet and honestly the cutest six year old she had ever seen. He was obviously intelligent, but knew nothing about the world outside of what Tony had told him. It was time for a tour. 

 

"I want to ride in the chair!" Peter looked a bit battered still, but the excitement lit up his face to the point where Pepper couldn't help but chuckle. 

 

Tony seemed relieved that the kid wasn't nervous about the wheelchair. "Okay kid, we're goin in the chair!" He lifted Peter up carefully and set him down. "There you go!" 

 

Peter beamed. It had taken a little while for him to get used to life without the mask on, but he was better now. Less nervous. 

 

Tony started rolling the wheelchair out, talking to the kid about where they would go, what they would see. The hospital workers waved goodbye to Peter, who smiled and gave a tiny wave back. He had stolen the hearts of all the nurses and workers. He was just that adorable. 

 

 “Pete, you ever seen palm trees?” They had made it outside, and Peter was playing with the toy car Pepper had brought him a while back. The kid looked up and gasped in awe. While they went down the paved pathway, he was silent, save for a few squeaks and gasps.

 

 Happy was waiting in a black car with darkened windows at the end of the way. Pepper was surprised that he hadn’t been surrounded by reporters already. It was pretty early in the morning, as they wanted to get going to the house before 6 AM. The sky was just beginning to brighten.

 

 The car’s window rolled down to reveal Happy’s perpetually disgruntled face. “Get in. We’ve gotta go before the press comes.” The door swung open, and Tony scooped up Peter carefully. The kid was still in a bit of pain, and they had to be gentle. Pepper watched as Tony slid in the car with the kid, sitting on the far side and placing Peter in the middle seat. He buckled the boy’s seatbelt first, and then his own. Pepper hopped in next to Peter, ruffling his hair. 

 

 Peter let out an indignant squeak. Tony chuckled.

 

 Then Peter noticed his surroundings. And immediately reached for the air conditioner dial, turning the fan up to it’s highest. It was set to the front.

 

 “WHAT TH-“ Happy’s shout was drowned out by a burst of high pressure air. The car was Tony’s own design, and the fan was extremely powerful, in case of some weird emergency. They had never used it. Until now. 

 

 Tony and Pepper burst out laughing. Poor Peter was very confused, and tried to turn it back. He ended up turning on the seat warmers on accident. Tony yelped and turned down both things. 

 

 Happy was upset for the entire ride back. 

 

 ———————————————————————————————————————-

 

 When they arrived at the huge house, Tony had basically had to explain every single thing outside their window to Peter, who listened carefully and soaked up the information like a sponge. Tony opened the door and stepped out, only to partially get back in to help Peter with his seatbelt. He picked up the kid again and placed him back in the wheelchair. 

 

 “Whoa...” Peter exclaimed at the sight of the house. Tony pushed him forward and pointed out some of the features of the house. Pepper followed them close behind.

 

 Tony opened the door and wheeled the kid inside. “And here’s the coolest part of the house. Hey J.A.R.V.I.S, you awake?”

 

 “Hello sir. Who is this new young man?” The AI responded, voice echoing around the house.

 

 Peter jumped comically in his chair, looking around or the source of the voice. “Who was that?” He turned to Tony, eyes wide and curious.

 

 “That was J.A.R.V.I.S. He’s an AI. Not a real person, but kinda close. He helps me out with everything, and controls pretty much everything in the house. Pretty cool, right?” Tony grinned. 

 

 Peter nodded. “Can I say hi?”

 

 Tony nodded and laughed. “Yeah kid, you can say hi all you want.” 

 

 “HI MR. J.A.R.V.I.S!” Peter shouted. 

 

 “Hello. What is your name?” The AI responded. Tony swore he could hear a bit of amusement in his voice. 

 

 “My name’s Peter.” The kid responded, grinning widely. 

 

 “Hello, Mr. Peter.”

 

 ——————————————————————————————————————

 

 Obidiah Stane was on his way to the Stark household. The kid was there. And he planned to get him. 

 

 And take him back to where he belonged. 

 

 With the Ten Rings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, as always! :D


	10. The Press Conference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony holds a conference and announces his plan for Stark Industries. Meanwhile, something's happened at the mansion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Happy Holidays!

"I want to hold a press conference." Tony said nonchalantly, taking a sip of his coffee and bouncing Peter on his knee. 

 

Pepper stopped in her tracks, turning abruptly. "What? Why?" 

 

Tony shrugged. "I've been gone for a long time. I think they miss me." He gave one of his trademark smirks, and the tiny Peter giggled. They had recently gotten him a huge teddy bear, as the kid had lasting mental health issues from his time inside the Ten Rings. He was bonded to Tony and Pepper (especially Tony), so when one of them left, he needed something to hold on to. 

 

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you can handle it? Like you said, you've been gone a long time." She raised an eyebrow at the man. 

 

He smiled again, but this time, it was serious. "I can do this, Pep. It'll be just like old times. Besides, I already know exactly what I'm going to say." He set Peter down with the giant white teddy bear, and the kid hugged it happily. 

"Alright. I'll arrange it to start in two hours. You need to go get prepared. I'll stay here with the kid." 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"I met this kid. He was inside that organization, trained, beaten, silenced, and tortured. At six years old. He was a weapon. Used alongside mine. That's right. There were Stark Industries products."

 

The crowd was wrapped up in the story, and cameras were trained on him from every angle. This would be everywhere on the news. Everywhere, this video would be playing. 

 

"And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing of Stark Industries." Tony looked around the room as a roar of noise rose. He had more to say, but it felt fitting to leave now. 

 

And there was no one to stop him. 

 

Rhodey was in the crowd, and he smiled at Tony. He was supportive now, but was apprehensive at first. 

 

Just then, Tony got a call from Pepper. The house was around an hour and a half away, so he'd been gone for around two. 

 

"What's up?" 

 

"There's people outside with guns, Tony. They're trying to get in- OH MY G-" 

 

The sounds of machine gun fire and glass shattering attacked Tony's ears. 

 

"PEPPER!" 

 

His shout was lost in the chaos of the crowd. Tony ran the rest of the way out of the room. 

 

"PETER RUN!" He heard Pepper shout. It sounded like she had dropped her phone. "RUN!" 

 

The call hung up.

 

Rhodey's hand was on Tony's shoulder. "Tones, what's wrong?" 

 

Tony dropped his phone.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Peter saw the men outside. Pepper told him to go downstairs to the lab hideout. The one that only Tony, Pepper, and Peter knew about. 

 

It was hidden by so many things, locked down secretly. But it could be opened by the three who knew. 

 

Once he got there, he heard Pepper scream. 

 

He wanted to go help. But Pepper told him to stay. She said that if she told him to run, it meant she was trying to get the people away. He wasn't supposed to run unless there weren't people outside. 

 

So he got inside the hideout and climbed to the back. The very back. They had a special code for safe and not safe. 

 

"GO GET THE KID!" A scary, deep voice yelled. 

 

"Obidiah? What-" 

 

BANG.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be mad?


	11. Hidden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony arrives at the house with Rhodey and Happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Here's an update!

Tony couldn't answer Rhodey. He ran to his car, getting in and telling Happy to drive to the house. 

 

It took him a minute to realize Rhodey was next to him. "TONY! What's going on?" 

 

"I don't- I don't know." Tony's voice was shaky, terrified.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Rhodey was comforting, putting a hand on his best friend's shoulder. 

 

"They were being shot at, and Pepper was screaming, and-" 

 

"Hap, floor it!" Rhodey interrupted, now just as worried as Tony. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

When they arrived, it looked like a war zone. There were no people there, but the glass walls of the house were shattered. Smoke was coming from a few sections of it, where explosions must have occurred. 

 

Tony ran inside, stopping when he saw the body on the ground. "PEPPER!" There was a pool of blood underneath her, coming from a wound in her ribcage. 

 

He collapsed to his knees beside her, checking for a pulse. She was still alive, but her breathing was shallow and her pulse was weak. 

 

"Oh my god." Rhodey breathed, seeing Tony and Pepper. "Is she..." 

 

"Alive. Call the ambulance, she needs help immediately." Tony stated numbly, standing up. 

 

Rhodey pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed 911. 

 

That was when Tony realized someone was missing. "Peter...." He took off running across the house, going down to the lab. 

 

"Tony-" 

 

"STAY WITH HER!" 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Almost tripping down the stairs to the lab, Tony's mind raced. What if Peter had been taken? Why had they shot Pepper? What if Peter was dead? 

 

"Pete, it's just me. Rhodey and Happy are upstairs. Do you want to go to bed? It's almost time." Tony used the code they had devised. He waited with bated breath. 

 

A whimper came from under the lab table. Tony whipped around and saw Peter peeking out of the entrance to the hideout. 

 

"It's okay bud. You're safe." 

 

Peter ran out into Tony's arms. He was trembling, and Tony felt wet tears drip onto his shoulder. 

 

He held the boy tight as he told J.A.R.V.I.S to close the hideout. 

 

What were they going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what'd you think? Peter is adorable as a little kid, isn't he?


	12. Working on the suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony decides that it's time to bring something back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay.....

Pepper was in the hospital. She had been through her surgery successfully. Tony couldn't bring himself into the room where she stayed. She was still unconscious anyway. It was his fault that he hadn't been there to protect her from whoever attacked. Peter was clinging onto him, face buried in his shoulder. The kid was terrified and had resorted back to not speaking. Tony just held onto him and sat there in the hospital's waiting room. 

 

This shouldn't have happened. But what could he do about it? This was the result of his life, his actions. Even what had happened with the Ten Rings couldn't change that- 

 

Wait. The suit. 

 

Tony sat up.  **The suit.**

 

Peter stirred on his shoulder, having fallen asleep for a few minutes. Tony ran a hand through the kid's hair gently to calm him down. 

 

He needed to get back to the lab and start working. Tony's brain whirred with possibilities as he stood, keeping Peter on his shoulder. Walking numbly to the check out counter, he told the receptionist that he was leaving. They seemed surprised but just nodded in shock and got back to work. 

 

Stepping outside into the warm morning air, he saw Happy's car parked outside. The man was asleep inside of it. Tony didn't want to wake him up, but he had to get home. 

 

Peter whimpered on his shoulder and shifted. 

 

"It's okay bud, we're gonna go home, alright?" Tony whispered reassuringly, walking a little faster to get to the car. When he finally reached it, he rapped his knuckles on the window. Happy startled inside, then oriented himself and unlocked the car. The man looked terrible. There were bags under his eyes, and his hands were shaking slightly. Still, Tony trusted him to get them both home safely. 

 

He pulled Peter off of his shoulder, placing him on the seat beside him and buckling the seat belt. Peter whimpered a little and squirmed, but calmed down as soon as Tony held his hand. "We're safe buddy. It's alright." Tony saw Happy smile at the scene. Peter was adorable, with his curly brown hair mussed up and pajamas wrinkled.

 

The car rumbled to a start and Tony leaned back, relaxing. He felt terrible for leaving Pepper alone, but he needed to do this. 

 

To avenge all the lives lost because of the Ten Rings. Whoever shot his assistant was going to pay. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"Mr. Stark?" 

 

Tony had carried Peter inside from the car. The tiny boy had been fast asleep and hadn't even stirred when he placed him on the couch. When Tony turned around, it was to see Peter sitting on the table behind him, head tilted and eyes wide open. Noise-proof headphones were lopsided on his head, tangling his hair even further. 

 

"Hey Pete." Tony smiled tiredly at the kid. He had just finished the final plan for the suit and was beginning to create the flight stabilizers for the hands. It was a process but worth it. 

 

"What are you making?" Peter hopped down from the table, landing surprisingly agilely for a six-year-old.

 

"Eh, just upgrading the suit idea from the cave." 

 

The kid nodded, interested in the plans set in front of him. 

 

Tony grinned. He had another science geek in the house. "I would put on those headphones and stand back for a bit, it's gonna get pretty loud in here." 

 

Peter grabbed the headphones and placed them on his head. 

 

Tony got to work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	13. Hey where did Peter go- WhAT THE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Tony is working, he gets an unexpected surprise. (aka some fluffy humor before the big section of darkness)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY I HAVE TIME TO WRITE (but barely anything cuz this is gonna probably be very short)

It had been hours of hard work on the suit before Tony finally took a break. Lifting his welding helmet off his face, he wiped his brow. The suit's structure was almost finished, now he just had to figure out a way to control it's flight. 

 

That was not going to be easy. 

 

Tony turned around, opening his mouth to talk to Peter. It abruptly closed when he realized the kid wasn't there. 

 

Anxiety immediately welled up in his stomach. "Pete? You there?" 

 

Tony turned in a full circle, not spotting the kid anywhere. 

 

"Hi Mr. Stark! The suit looks really good." 

 

The tiny voice came from above him. Wait.... 

 

Tony slowly looked up. 

 

The kid was on the ceiling. 

 

Like a spider. 

 

"WHAT THE- HOW DID YOU GET UP THERE?" 

 

Peter casually dropped down halfway, hanging from only a hand. He shrugged. "I've always been able to." 

 

Tony, still in shock, just stared. 

 

The kid tilted his head, dropping down onto the table. "What?" 

 

"What else can you do, kid?" 

 

Peter thought for a moment, then answered. "I heal really fast. I can jump and flip." 

 

Tony nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Alright." 

 

How was he going to take care of a spider kid?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd you think?


	14. Test Flight

Tony prepared himself inside the metal suit. "Ready, Pete?" 

 

Peter gave a silent thumbs up and a toothy grin. Sometimes, Tony forgot he was only six. The kid was a genius, helping Tony figure out some of the trickiest parts of the suit. 

 

He took a deep breath in. "J.A.R.V.I.S, prepare for flight." 

 

"Right away, sir. However, I don't think it's a great idea to do this so early. Especially with young Peter here." 

 

"J.A.R.V.I.S, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk." 

 

Okay, that made no sense. However, the suit was powering up. 

 

"Ready... In 3, 2, 1." The thrusters propelled him upwards. He had already tested them out previously, but Tony was kind of nervous for his first full flight. 

 

The kid was covering his ears, but looked extremely happy and excited. 

 

Tony gave him a thumbs up, then realized his hands should be facing down. 

 

Steadying himself, he took one last look to see if everything on his display looked correct. 

 

Tony leaned forwards. 

 

He was off. 

 

"whooooooOOOOOOOO YEEEEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" 

 

Zooming through the night sky was exhilarating. 

 

Tony kept going higher, and higher, and higher. 

 

And suddenly, everything stopped. 

 

The display went black. 

 

All he could see was the spinning world around him. It was terrifying. 

 

No no no nononononononono!!!!!

 

He reached back in a panic. 

 

The suit was frozen. 

 

He fumbled with it as he fell. 

 

The power turned back on right as he prepared himself for a painful landing. 

 

And he was back! 

 

Tony whooped as he flew over the city. 

 

That was a close one. 

 

As he neared his mansion, he straightened himself out for a landing. 

 

"Cut power." 

 

Oops.


	15. Ready Aim Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obidiah is revealed to Rhodey by Peter. And to Tony by Rhodey. Pepper doesn't remember anything.
> 
>  
> 
> The Malibu house is attacked again. 
> 
>  
> 
> Honestly, they should probably move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!!! HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!!!!!!!

Tony was out eating dinner with a newly healed Pepper, Happy was guarding them, so where did that leave Peter?

 

With his Uncle Rhodey.

 

"Kid, you gotta get down from there." Rhodey ran a hand through his hair as Peter giggled.

 

Being on the ceiling was so much fun here.

 

They didn't throw things at him or fire loud guns.

He could just hang from it.

 

"Mr. Rhodey, you're really nice."

 

His uncle smiled.

"Thanks, kid."

 

Peter continued. "You're nothing like Mr. Stane. He was really mean."

 

Rhodey froze. "Who?"

 

Peter was confused.

 

He had heard Mr. Stane's voice when they were attacked.

 

Hadn't Pepper told them?

 

She seemed to know Mr. Stane.

"Mr. Stane. He would visit me and watch me sometimes."

 

"Did he have a beard and a bald head?" Rhodey looked nervous.

 

Peter tilted his head. Maybe he shouldn't trust them.

 

If they knew Mr. Stane, they had to be bad people too.

But Tony and Pepper were so nice! Rhodey was too!

 

"Yeah. Do you know him? Are you bad people too?"

Peter tensed up in case Rhodey wasn't as nice as he seemed.

 

"Oh my god, kid. I knew something was wrong with that man. Come on, we have to go. I'm gonna put you in the hiding place, and I'm going to call Tony. Stay there!"

 

Rhodey held out his arms for Peter to jump into.

 

Peter obliged, and they ran.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Tony!!!"

 

Tony had just answered Rhodey's call.

 

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Rhodes? What's going on?"

 

"Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper. Peter told me. You need to get to a safe place, NOW!"

 

Oh god. "Alright. I have to hang up. Just keep the kid safe."

 

Tony hung up, hands shaking.

 

Rhodey's words just kept repeating in his head.

 

_Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper._

_Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper._

_Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper._

_Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper._

_Obidiah is the one that shot Pepper._

 

It was impossible. 

 

But it had to be true. 

 

Pepper didn't remember the attack. 

 

But Peter did. 

 

He had to trust his son on this one. 

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Peter was sitting inside the hiding place, at the very back. 

 

Tears rolled down his face. 

 

Had he done something wrong?   
  
  


Why was Uncle Rhodey upset?   
  
  


Peter hated this place. He could hear everything. 

 

Rhodey was frantically grabbing weapons and protection from the armory. 

 

Peter knew how to use guns. He knew how to fight. 

 

Why couldn't he help too?   
  
  


Well, there were weapons inside the hiding spot. 

 

"Hello Colonel." 

 

It was Mr. Stane. 

 

"Hi Obi, how was your day?"   
  
  


"I know you have the kid here." 

 

THUMP. Peter winced at the sound of someone being slammed against a wall.

 

Rhodey's strangled voice came after. "You'll never find him." 

 

Suddenly, glass shattered in the lab. 

 

Near Peter's hideout. 

 

 

 

 

 

"I already did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, cliffhanger....


	16. Hideout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo I had some free time and decided to update! yay!

"Pep, we gotta go." Tony grabbed her hand and pulled her up. 

 

"Tony, what-" 

 

"Peter and Rhodey could be in trouble, we need to get home-" Tony stopped as Pepper glared at him.   
  
  
  
"Shouldn't we get to a safe place? We don't want to draw attention to the house." Pepper looked scared, but she was probably right. 

 

If there was no one at the house, they probably shouldn't go home. 

 

But Tony wanted to protect his kid. His son. 

 

He had a plan.

 

"Alright." 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Rhodey was terrified. His whole world was falling apart. 

 

Everything he knew. 

 

It was all a lie. 

 

Obidiah was working with the Ten Rings. 

 

His best friend was lied to his whole life. 

 

God, what would this do to Tones?

 

Rhodey couldn't breathe. 

 

Obidiah had a suit. 

 

Some weird metal thing. 

 

Well, he didn't have time to think about what the suit was. 

 

Rhodey's throat felt like it was being crushed. 

 

He passed out. 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Obidiah left the house. His men would take care of the kid. 

 

It was time to get revenge on Tony. 

 

Getting the arc reactor in his chest. 

 

He had seen it in person when Tony was in the cave. 

 

Now, it was even better. 

 

Improved. 

 

It was a genius piece of technology. 

 

And he needed it to power his suit. 

 

Unfortunately for Tony, he didn't have a heart problem. 

 

His suit would be able to take the weapons industry over for good. 

 

No more Stark Industries. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all I got a tumblr and have no idea how to use it, but you can follow me! thescarletwitch7.tumblr.com. Please be nice over there and here! Thank you :D


	17. What is the world coming to?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This gets intense.

Tony and Pepper were hiding in the back of the restaurant. 

 

It was a cramped space, but it worked. 

 

It wasn't long before they heard gunfire and screaming. 

 

What was the world coming to? 

 

They couldn't escape the terror. 

 

The room was pitch black. 

 

Pepper was hugging him, tears rolling down her face and onto Tony's chest. 

 

They had to stay silent. A member of the staff was kind enough to conceal their location with a cabinet full of supplies. It had an open back, but there was no doorknob. So the door made a backboard. 

 

It was a risky plan, but they had blocked it with supplies from within. 

 

Nobody would be able to get in. 

 

But Tony had to get out. 

 

He had to get his kid. 

 

God knows he wasn't losing him again. 

 

"Pep, you have to stay here. Stay quiet. Squeeze into the farthest corner you can find. They won't get to you, I promise. They'll just think you left." Tony felt awful leaving her here. 

 

"What-" 

 

"I have to go." 

 

With that, he slowly opened the door, carefully moving the blockade they had set up. He couldn't see much, but he could feel. 

 

Tony had to move fast. 

 

He silently covered the door with supplies once again, and shut the cabinet door. 

 

Then, Tony moved as far away from the cabinet as possible. 

 

The lights flashed on. 

 

Tony froze. 

 

Obidiah walked through the door. 

 

"Hello, Stark." 

 

Something was in his ears. Why would he be wearing- 

 

Pain shot through his body. 

 

He couldn't move. 

 

It felt like he was being melted from the inside. 

 

The piercing sound resonated through him. 

 

He couldn't talk. 

 

He couldn't make a sound. 

 

Tony sank to the floor. 

 

Obi stood over him. 

 

His voice echoed around the room. 

 

"You really didn't know? What kind of a genius are you, Tony?" The villain grinned.

 

Tony really wanted to reply. 

 

But he couldn't. Even though whatever Obidiah was using had turned off, he was still useless. 

 

Obidiah leaned down. 

 

He tapped his fingers on the arc reactor. 

 

No.

 

"This is your best creation, Tony. It'd be a shame not to share it with the world." 

 

Obidiah pulled out a knife. 

 

Tony's eyes watered with unshed tears. 

 

Everyone betrayed him eventually. 

 

It was just a matter of time.

 

He couldn't trust anyone. 

 

He'd just get hurt. 

 

The kid didn't deserve this. 

 

Peter didn't deserve to have a father that couldn't even defend himself. 

 

But Tony couldn't betray him. 

 

He had to protect Peter. 

 

Obidiah slit his shirt open. 

 

Tony felt the knife cut into his skin. The pain was sharp and sudden. 

 

The crooked grin above him was terrifying. He shouldn't be scared. 

 

He should've expected this. 

 

The knife stabbed into his stomach. 

 

It hurt, but it was nothing like what would happen next. 

 

Then the real pain started. 

 

He felt the arc reactor being ripped out of his chest. 

 

Then nothing. 

 

Tony's gasp surpassed the paralyzation. 

 

Obidiah smiled. 

 

But there was something he didn't know. 

 

Tony always kept at least one spare. 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"Come on kid! We don't have all day!" A man's voice snarled. He was speaking Arabic. 

 

Peter immediately reverted back to his old silence. It was like the mask was on again. 

 

He didn't want to go back to the cave. 

 

He knew where the men had come from. 

 

The Ten Rings. His old home. 

 

Peter didn't want to go home. 

 

He wanted to stay here. With his dad.

 

"I found something!" The man shouted harshly to his team. 

 

No. 

 

No. 

 

No. 

 

Peter didn't want to fight. 

 

Please no. 

 

He'd hurt too many people already. 

 

"13! Weapon! Get out NOW!" 

 

Peter couldn't stop his whimper. 

 

The door opened, shedding light into the hideout. 

 

He couldn't go back. 

 

BANG. 

 

BANG. 

 

BANG. 

 

BANG. 

 

Peter found himself standing over the bodies of the men. 

 

Why? 

 

Why did this happen? 

 

What was the world coming to?

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Rhodey woke to the sound of gunshots. 

 

No. 

 

The kid. 

 

He stood up, wincing and stumbling at the pain shooting through his body. 

 

His neck was sore. 

 

Why wasn't he dead? 

 

Finding his balance, Rhodey started to run down the stairs to the lab. 

 

He had his gun loaded in his hand. 

 

The glass walls were shattered and Rhodey made his way through them. 

 

No way. 

 

The bodies of the men were littered on the floor. 

 

They were dead.

 

Gunshot wounds. 

 

"Mr. Rhodey?" 

 

A small voice came from inside the opened hideout. 

 

How had it been opened? 

 

They must have gotten Pepper's DNA when they shot her. 

 

Wait... 

 

That was the kid. 

 

"Peter?" Rhodey asked softly, slowly making his way towards the hideout. 

 

The kid's shirt was covered in blood. 

 

It was immediately clear whose it was. 

 

Peter was holding a gun. 

 

He was shaking, eyes downcast and body curled up like Rhodey was going to hurt him. 

 

"Kid, you're okay. Can you put the gun down for me?" He spoke quietly, still in shock at the sight. 

 

"I killed them, I killed them, I killed them...." 

 

"It's alright. No one is going to hurt you. Can you put the gun down, please?" 

 

"I'm sorry..." A sob cut off Peter's sentence. The gun clattered to the floor, making the kid flinch. 

 

There was damage in Peter's brown eyes when he finally looked up. 

 

Jesus.... 

 

What had they done to him in that cave? 

 

"Shh, you're alright." Rhodey stepped forward. 

 

Obviously, that was the wrong thing to do. 

 

"STOP!!!!" 

 

Rhodey froze at the kid's scream. 

 

Peter was backing away from him. 

 

"I don't wanna hurt you too."


	18. We don't even know why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More angst.

Tony waited in agony for the men to leave.

 

He heard Obadiah talking outside, than footsteps leading away. He waited a few more seconds to make sure they were gone.

 

"Pepper." His voice was strangled and hoarse. "It's safe."

 

A faint rustling came from the cabinet area. Soon, Pepper was out.

 

"Tony, what happened-" She gasped at the sight of him on the floor. The stab wound wasn't deep, thankfully, but that didn't mean it was painless.

 

"Hey," Tony said weakly, grabbing the arc reactor from his pocket. The movement jostled the wound, and he hissed in pain.

 

"You need me to put that in you." Pepper looked scared but determined as Tony nodded.

 

Tony prepared himself for the jolt of pain that would come with placing the arc reactor back in his chest. 

 

"AHG!" 

 

Pepper flinched at his cry of pain, but finished putting the reactor in. "Are you okay?" 

 

Tony propped himself up onto his hands. "I'll be fine. Let's go get Peter." 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Obidiah stepped into the huge suit and grinned.

 

Tony Stark was gone, and he had the power to do anything with the world.

 

Now that he had the arc reactor, the weapons industry would change forever, with him on top. 

 

Hopefully, he could perfect the serum used on the child and create an army of soldiers just like him. 

 

"Powering up in five, four, three, two, one!" 

 

The display inside his helmet lit up. 

 

It was time. 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tony and Pepper drove as fast as they could to the house. 

 

When they arrived, there were random cars around the house. Thankfully, Obidiah's wasn't there. 

 

Tony had stitched and bandaged his wound on the car ride there. He stepped out of the car, ignoring the pain in his abdomen. 

 

Pepper followed him carefully to the front door. It was gaping open, showing the empty house. 

 

"Tones?! Is that you?" Rhodey's voice came from inside. 

 

"Yeah. I'm right here with Pepper. Where's Peter?" Tony stepped through the open door and walked cautiously over the shards of broken glass.

 

"He's down here. He needs you." 

 

Tony swore. What had happened? 

 

As he ventured down the stairs, he prepared himself mentally for the sight of the kid injured. 

 

However, nothing could've prepared Tony for the carnage downstairs. 

 

"Pete..."   
  
  
His kid was sobbing on the ground, a gun next to him and dead men littered around him. 

 

Peter's head shot up at the mention of his name. "Mr. Stark?"

 

Tony stepped forward. Peter flinched. 

 

"It's alright kid. You're okay now." 

 

Tears rolled down Peter's face. "But- I killed them." 

 

"I know, bud. It's okay. We know you're not a bad person. They were trying to hurt you and you defended yourself." 

 

Peter tilted his head. "You're not mad? You're not gonna send me away?" 

 

Tony scoffed. "Of course not. You're my kid. I would never send you away." 

 

Peter nodded. 

 

Tony walked towards him and scooped him into his arms. 

 

Peter clung to him. 

 

Tony was never going to give his son up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please check out my tumblr: thescarletwitch7.tumblr.com


	19. Power isn't always good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, the action starts once more! We're getting close to the end of this story and Iron Man 2! :D

Obadiah activated his thrusters and began to fly to Tony's mansion. He knew Tony probably gifted his suit to another person.

 

That man never gave up, even dead. It was annoying. As the house came in sight, he prepared for a fight. 

 

Obviously, it would be tough, but his suit was much bigger and more powerful than Tony's. 

 

It'd be hard to stop the suit, but it was time for all of Tony to go. 

 

He'd get the kid. He needed him to run more experiments. To make an army just like him.

 

He landed in front of the house with a BOOM, steadying himself with his repulsers. 

 

Then, Obadiah heard a voice he thought he would never hear again. 

 

He tensed up.

 

A blast of energy hit him in the back. 

 

_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Tony and Peter had about two hours to prepare. He made Peter a small protective suit. 

 

It had a spider on the chest, and was red and gold. In Pete's words, "Just like you, Mr. Stark!" 

 

The suit was in case Peter had to protect himself. 

 

The kid had extremely strong tasers in his gloves, and comms that could communicate with Tony. 

 

Rhodey was in a protective uniform with a bulletproof vest. 

 

He was staying inside with guns.

 

Peter was also inside for his own safety.

 

Tony stationed himself in the shadows. 

 

He saw a huge suit coming towards the house. "Holy sh*t." 

 

It was Obadiah. 

 

He had made the suit and put the arc reactor inside. 

 

This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

 

As the suit landed, Tony prepared himself to fire a blast. 

 

"Hey Obi." 

 

He saw the man tense up. 

 

"Even dead, I'm the hero." 

 

He fired the blast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, the suit Peter uses in this chapter is not like the Iron Spider suit. It's more like his suit in Civil war, just a little less high-tech and without a mask.


	20. With Our Backs to the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An empire's fall in just one day.

Peter watched with bated breath as Mr. Stark and Mr. Stane fought. 

 

Mr. Stane was furious. He was wildly flinging his heavy suit's arms everywhere. 

 

Mr. Stark was avoiding them well, and Peter heard his snarky comments from the comms.

 

"Obi, did you miss me?" A pause as Mr. Stane tried to disarm Tony from the back. 

 

"Hey, I don't think that's a good way to treat someone you almost killed!" 

 

Peter stifled a giggle. 

 

The fight continued, repulsers firing and energy lighting up the night air. 

 

He could hear the crackle of electricity as they swung at each other. 

 

Mr. Starks suit was better, but Mr. Stane's was huge and barbaric. 

 

A cold, bad feeling came over Peter. 

 

Something was going to happen. 

 

Suddenly, Tony missed a shot. 

 

And Obadiah hit him. 

 

Everything seemed to go silent as Tony was held up by the neck. 

 

Peter could hear Mr. Stark's strangled cries as Obadiah crushed the suit. 

 

"DAD!!!" He screamed and leaped out the doorway. 

 

He could faintly hear Rhodey cry out his name from inside. 

 

"Pete-don't." His dad's voice was pained and weak. 

 

It was too late. 

 

Obadiah spotted him. 

 

Peter stood his ground on shaking legs. 

 

Mr. Stane was bigger than he thought, especially in the suit. 

 

"13. Come with me, and he lives." Obadiah's voice was threateningly calm. 

 

Peter looked at his dad. 

 

Tony shook his head slightly. 

 

"Okay." Peter took a step forward. 

 

"I won't put him down until you come closer." 

 

Peter walked, trembling with anticipation as he approached Obadiah. 

 

When he was just a foot away, he leaped into the air, grabbing Mr. Stane's helmet and activating his tasers. 

 

Obadiah screamed and dropped Tony. 

 

It was obvious that the suit's systems were damaged.

 

It wouldn't be flying anytime soon.

 

Then, Obadiah's suit started flying. 

 

With Peter still on it. 

 

It went too fast for Peter to even think about jumping off.

 

It went higher and higher and higher. 

 

Obadiah tried to get him off the helmet and managed to startle Peter enough that the tasers deactivated. 

 

But Peter stuck on tight. 

 

He looked down to see the lights of the city beneath him. 

 

It was beautiful. 

 

And cold. 

 

The air was hard to breathe. 

 

His vision started to darken.

 

But all of a sudden, something went wrong. 

 

For the second time, Mr. Stane cried out. 

 

"What?!" 

 

The suit began falling.

 

Back down to the mansion. 

 

Peter closed his eyes as the world spun around him. 

 

"PETER!!!!" 

 

That was his dad. 

 

There was a bang as he hit the ground and tumbled off of the suit. 

 

And all he felt was pain. 

 

"NO!"

**Author's Note:**

> What'd you think? Please leave me some feedback so I know whether to continue or not.


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